Creamy Chicken Soup with Pickles

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 43 g butter
• 8 ml kosher salt
• 3 ml black pepper
• 5 ml dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 40 g flour
• 960 ml chicken stock
• 480 ml milk
• 150 g rice
• 3 chicken breasts
• 240 ml frozen peas
• 240 ml chopped pickles
• 1 lemon, juice

Mga Tagubilin

1. 1

   Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot for about 5 minutes until softened but not brown. Sprinkle the flour all over and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant.

2. 2

   Very slowly pour in the chicken stock, stirring non-stop. Add the milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the rice, thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Carefully lay the chicken breasts on top. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer very gently for 15–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

3. 3

   Remove the chicken once it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to a plate and shred it with two forks.

4. 4

   Add the frozen peas, pickles, and lemon juice. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the shredded chicken back to the soup.